Cleaning chemicals pollute more than cars

Denver – The cleaning of the house and other daily activities, such as cooking, release chemical components that pollute the air more than in the automotive industry, according to a study by the University of Colorado (CU) in Boulder released today.

The report, presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), It was based on the analysis of the impact on air of the so-called "volatile chemical compounds" present in articles such as shampoo, perfumes and detergents.

According to experts, chemical compounds that escape from homes due to daily activities contribute globally to pollute the atmosphere "more than cars and trucks".

The researchers focused on "basic home activities" and discovered that they "change the chemistry of the house", affecting air quality both inside and outside the home.

"Homes have never been considered as a major source of air pollution," explained Marina Vance, a university center academic who in 2018 started a field study known as HOMEChem (Home Chemicals).

The study consisted of observing for a month the air inside 1,200 square feet (111.4 square meters) homes at the University of Texas, Austin, where activities such as cooking a complete dinner usual at family parties were reproduced.

Vance said the preliminary results confirm that even boiling water can contaminate the air, since the gas flame of some kitchens contain "high levels of gaseous pollutants", or that preparing a toast alters the air quality more than was believed .

Another of the researchers, Joost de Gouw, stressed that "it is too early to make recommendations for changes in public policies or in human behavior", as further research is needed to analyze the volume of toxins present in the air inside the the homes.